God's Faithfulness to Unfaithful People | Numbers 1-19

I've shared several times that when I was in high school, I ran cross-country. My dad would videotape every race, and back then there was no iPhone, so it was a labor of love to bring the camcorder to videotape the races. He would videotape the race, and then my brother and I would go home and watch every race.

There was one time that we were watching the replay, and we thought we saw something, but we weren't sure if we saw it, so we had to rewind to make sure that what we thought we saw was actually what we saw. I'm going to share it with you, and you're not going to think it's a big deal, and you're going to feel like this is a waste of a few minutes, but there's a reason I'm sharing this with you.

Here's what we saw. We pushed "play" and saw about 300 runners jump off the line and take off at a dead sprint down a field. They went down the field, they went around a baseball backstop, and then all 300 runners were running toward the camera. As we were watching… It was so subtle, but there was a guy toward the front of the group who, in a moment in time… He was only a minute or two in the race, but as he was running at a full sprint, he just stepped off and walked away.

He didn't grab his leg, like, "Oh, clearly he pulled a muscle, so he's done." No, it honestly looked like he woke up and was like, "I chose to wake up at 5:00 a.m., put on really short shorts, and just run around a field. I chose the wrong sport, and I'm not going to do this anymore." That's what it looked like. He was just running, and he was like, "Nope, hard pass," and just stepped off and walked away.

Now, you might hear that and be like, "That feels like a pretty insignificant experience," and you're right. We're talking about high school cross-country. There are people who quit the race all the time, so that's not a big deal. What is a big deal is when you're talking about the Christian life, which in the Bible is described as a race. It's a very significant deal when people who are running that race step off and walk away.

The reality is we're not watching a video right now. We are actually watching in real time as, all of the time, people who identify with Jesus, who would say they're following Jesus, at some point simply step off the course and walk away. Kat and I, just this past week, were talking about people from the past we've ministered to who now have either walked away from the church or walked away from Jesus altogether.

So, I just want to ask a question that I've asked here before, but I want to ask it periodically, and I really want you to think about this. Ten years from now, do you still think you'll be walking with Jesus? Just think about that. Ten years from now, do you still believe you'll be walking with Jesus? Something in you might be like, "Of course! Of course I'll be walking with Jesus," but you have to remember you have an enemy who hates you, hates your relationship with Jesus, and would be delighted for you to step off the course and walk away.

As we jump back into Year of the Word, if you're new here, as a church family, we are reading through the entire Bible from cover to cover, and we'd love for you to jump in with us. Maybe you started that race with us, and you've already stepped off that course and walked away. Well, welcome back. Tomorrow, Numbers 20, you can just jump right back in. If you're behind, consider yourself caught up. Start every Monday on the journey with us, but jump back in.

This week, we're looking at the book of Numbers. Numbers can be one of those books that you get into the first few chapters, and you're just reading names and numbers, and you're like, "This is why it's hard to read the Bible," but the book of Numbers is actually a very important book, because the book of Numbers highlights two things. I'm just going to break it down for you. It highlights God's faithfulness and Israel's unbelief.

If you just know those two things as you're reading through Numbers, it makes the text make so much more sense. It highlights God's faithfulness and Israel's unbelief. That actually shows the flow of the book. The first section is about the preparation and the counting of one generation, and then you have this whole segment in between, which is a tragic transition, where you watch the unbelief of the nation of Israel. Then you see the third section, which is a new generation raised up who is ready to go into the Promised Land.

The book of Numbers chronicles the journey from Mount Sinai into the land of Canaan. It should have taken about two weeks. It's going to take 40 years. Why? Because of Israel's unbelief. So, today, I want us to learn, because my hope is that, 10 years from now, every single person in this room who's following Jesus now will be following Jesus then, but it's going to take us diving into the nation of Israel to see what led to them walking away.

As we look through Numbers, here's what it's going to show. Don't miss this. Falling away from Christ is the result of seemingly small yet consistent moments of unbelief. That's what the text shows us. So, we need to have a sobering conversation together today so that, 10 years from now, those who are following Christ now will be following him then.

Now, let me clear up any confusion really quickly. When you hear the analogy of a race and you running and stepping off the course, you might try to squeeze everything you can out of that analogy and start wondering, "Okay. If someone genuinely is running the race, and they're a Christian, does that mean genuine Christians can lose their salvation?" That's really not what I'm talking about here, because I believe you can't lose your salvation. What I'm really talking about is…Are you even running the right race in the first place? Do you know the right Jesus, and are you truly following him?

So here we go. The book of Numbers. As I said, the book of Numbers highlights two things: God's faithfulness and Israel's unbelief. I want you to see, as we're reading the Bible, God's faithfulness is proclaimed in every single book of the Bible. As you read through Numbers, you should be reminded of what God told Abraham all the way back in Genesis 12. Remember what he told him?

"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.'" Remember, God told this one guy, "Hey, your family is actually going to become a nation."

So, when you open up the book of Numbers and read the census, the counting of the people, you know, the part of the book you just want to skim through and skip over because you're like, "It's just names and numbers…" When you read those names and numbers, something in you should fill up with gratitude because it reminds you of how faithful God is.

He said hundreds of years before, "I'm going to take your little family and make you a nation." When you read that there are over 600,000 men of war, and that doesn't even include women and children, which means there are at least a couple million people in the nation of Israel, it's like, "Yeah, God always does what he says he's going to do." Our God is a God who keeps his promises.

The book of Numbers is the journey from Sinai to the land of Canaan. It should just be moments away from them stepping into the land God promised all the way back in Genesis. Why? God is a God who keeps his promises. The reason it took 40 years, though, is because of Israel's unbelief.

As you're reading through the Bible, I hope you're seeing the storyline of the Scripture unfold. Remember what we've said from the beginning. In Genesis 3, God promises that a Serpent crusher is going to come. God is committed to reversing the effects of the fall, and he's committed to restoring what was lost in Eden. So, as you read Numbers, be looking out for the traces of Eden that you see.

Just think about it. Just as God created Adam and put Adam in the garden, God has formed Israel into a nation and is planning to put them in the land of Canaan. Just as the garden of Eden was satisfying with all of the different fruit trees, the land of Canaan now is satisfying. It's described as a land flowing with milk and honey. It's abundant with God's goodness, just like Eden was.

Just as Adam and Eve experienced God's presence, the nation of Israel is experiencing his presence. Numbers 2 describes the organization of the camp, and the way the camp is organized is that the tabernacle is put in the center of it and the nation of Israel camps around it. The tabernacle, the presence of God, is central to the people of God. Then, as they begin to journey, they are led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

What you see, at least in the first 10 chapters, is the nation of Israel is obeying everything God calls them to do. God and man are synced up like they were, in some way, in the garden. In Eden, God spoke to Adam. Throughout the book of Numbers, we see God saying to Moses, "Speak to the people of Israel." God is communicating to his people, and communication is care. God loves his people. He wants to be known by his people, just like he did with Adam and Eve.

In Genesis 1, remember, we see the blessing of God. The blessing of God is a theme throughout the Scriptures. In Genesis 1, it says, "God blessed them and said, 'Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it.'" Then God blessed Noah. Then God blessed Abraham and said, "In you all of the nations will be blessed." Then, in Numbers 6, we get the priestly blessing.

"The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.'"

Do you see it? Traces of Eden. The story continues. God is committed to restoring what was lost in Eden. Here's the unfortunate thing, though. The sin that existed in Adam and Eve in the garden, which caused them to be kicked out of the garden, is still present in the nation of Israel. Adam and Eve's unbelief is contagious. It's hereditary. Now the descendants of Abraham are showing the same type of unbelief.

Remember, when Adam and Eve ate the fruit in the garden, it was a declaration of unbelief. They did not believe in the trustworthiness or the goodness of God. God says, "Eat from this tree, not this tree," and man says, "No, I'm going to eat from this tree. God can't be trusted. God isn't really that good. God is holding out on us. He's keeping something good from us."

Now the nation of Israel in the book of Numbers shows a similar unbelief, specifically in Numbers 13 and 14. The crux of the book is Numbers 13 and 14. They're the two most important chapters in the book because it's the pivot point of the book. This is the reason the journey from Sinai to Canaan took 40 years instead of two weeks. It was because of the unbelief.

God tells them to send spies into the land. They send spies. The spies come back with their report, and it's a bad report. Because of the bad report, the nation of Israel refuses to go into the land God has called them to go into. That's a demonstration of unbelief. That's them saying, "We don't believe you are truly good. We now believe you've brought us out of slavery simply for us to be killed in the wilderness."

Unbelief marks a generation, and God refuses for people marked by unbelief to enter into the rest that comes with being in the land of Canaan. The author of Hebrews in his book provides commentary on the book of Numbers. That tells you that the book of Numbers is actually meaningful and important, that the author of Hebrews would be like, "There's something so important going on in the book of Numbers that I'm going to write a commentary on it."

Hebrews, chapters 3 and 4, is a commentary specifically on Numbers 13 and 14. Listen to what he says, because this is how we make the connection from Israel to us. This is where we have to beware that the same unbelief that existed in Israel doesn't exist in us, causing us to step off the course and walk away. The author of Hebrews, in Hebrews 3:7, says:

"Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, "They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways." As I swore in my wrath, "They shall not enter my rest."'"

Now the author of Hebrews turns to us and says, "Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God." Do you see the connection? In Numbers, the land of Canaan was associated with rest. God is leading a people to rest. Well, that land of Canaan and the rest in Canaan correlates with the rest that comes with eternity with God in heaven.

The author of Hebrews is saying, "Hey, look. There's a reason the Israelites didn't experience that rest. It's because of unbelief." Make sure you don't miss out on eternity with God and the rest that comes with it due to any unbelief in your heart. Be careful that something doesn't cause you to step off the course and walk away.

So, here's what I want to do with the remainder of my time. I just want to look at what caused the nation of Israel to step off the course and walk away, and I want us to learn from it. This is a sobering conversation. This is to ensure that, 10 years from now, those who are following Christ now will still be following him then.

1. Beware of focusing on what you don't have instead of what you do have. Think about Numbers 11:4-6. This is the story about God providing manna but them wanting meat and not just manna.

"Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, 'Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.'"

Do you see what's happening? Right now, they're focusing on what they don't have instead of what they do have. That is very dangerous, because when you just focus on what you don't have instead of what you do have, it leads to discontentment, and that discontentment can fuel resentment toward God.

Think about all of the things God has done for them that aren't on the people's radar. He has rescued them from slavery. He has given them his presence. He is living in their midst, and he is miraculously providing for them with manna every single day. Every day, they wake up, and there's a new supply of manna on the ground, yet for them it's about meat. "We don't want the manna; we want the meat." Focusing on what you don't have breeds discontentment that can fuel resentment toward God.

So, I just want to ask you. This is a moment for you to have some clarity in your own life. Are you, right now, frustrated or disappointed in God because of what he hasn't provided for you? Just think about that really quickly. What don't you have right now? Maybe it's physical health. Maybe it's a job or financial stability. Maybe you don't have a spouse. Maybe you don't have a child. Maybe you don't have a thriving child. Maybe you don't have friends. Maybe you don't have an easy marriage.

My question to you is…If you don't have those things, has God failed you? When you only look at what you don't have instead of what you do have, you can begin to believe the lie that he has. One of the best things you can do, as a follower of Jesus, is to consistently look at what you do have. It's to express gratitude. I like to say that gratitude is the lighter fluid of faith.

If you think about lighter fluid… I've talked about this before. Middle school boys… Actually, any man of any age who stands around a fire, and a bottle of lighter fluid gets introduced, a pyro gene gets awakened in them. Men can spend hours just spraying, giggling, and passing. It's like, Whoosh! "Hee-hee!" "My turn." So then the next guy takes it. Same result.

Lighter fluid causes the fire to flare up, but it doesn't sustain the fire. Gratitude can cause the fire of your faith to grow, but you need consistent gratitude. When you focus on what you do have instead of what you don't have, it fuels gratitude, which leads to greater faith. Now, what many of you think I'm telling you to do right now…

When I say to focus on what you do have instead of what you don't have, you think I'm encouraging you toward an exercise where you just look and appreciate all of the material things you have, to be thankful for what you do have physically, for the money you do have, for the job you do have, for the spouse you do have, for the kid you do have. That's good, and you should do that, but unbelievers can do that. If that's my encouragement, that's just self-help. That's not what I'm talking about right now.

When I tell you to focus on what you do have, I'm talking about expressing gratitude for who you have in Christ. I want you to think about this. What does it do for you when I say that because you have Christ, you have everything? Does it do anything for you when I tell you that because you have Christ, you actually have everything? If something in you is still disappointed by that statement or something in you is like, "Yeah, but…" it might be that God is exposing an idol in your life, because there might be something you believe you need more than you need Jesus.

If this book is true, then Jesus Christ is a treasure worth selling everything for. If this book is true, then he's the one who offers rest to those who are weary and heavy-laden. He's a friend who never leaves us or forsakes us. He's comforter. He's healer. He calls us his bride. He has gone to prepare a place for us and will take us to where he is. He's the Bread of Life who satisfies the deepest longings of our souls.

So, either Jesus does satisfy the deepest longings of our souls or he doesn't. Jesus was either lying or he's telling the truth. He's a miracle worker, and he is Savior. If you have Christ, you have everything. Rick Warren said, "You never know God is all you need until God is all you have." What's the point? If you have Christ, you already have everything. Stop focusing on what you don't have and focus on who you do have.

I was talking to a friend awhile back, and he was getting hit from all angles. He was at a time in life where one of his kids was struggling in a very deep way. He was being sued at that time. This guy was experiencing a lot all at once. There was a lot hitting. Anyone could hear his story and be like, "Hey, man. How are you still standing?" I asked him, "Hey, how are you doing?" Here was his response: "If the goal is to get more of Jesus, we're doing great." Why? Because if you have Jesus, you have everything.

The greatest thing God can do for you right now is to give you more of himself, but if you focus on what you don't have instead of what you do have, there is a good chance that you're going to step off the course and walk away. The second thing I want to warn you about… It's going to be similar to the first point, but I want to take more ground with this point.

2. Beware of doubting God's goodness because of your circumstances. Remember, the nation of Israel sends spies. The spies come back. Their report is "We can't do it. The people in that land are huge. We look like grasshoppers to them. We're not going to make it." When the nation of Israel hears that report, listen to their response. Numbers 14:1:

"Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, 'Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?'"

Do you see what they're saying? By looking and seeing the size of the people in the land, the conclusion they draw is "God is actually not good. He's evil. He brought us out of slavery just so we could die by the sword here in the wilderness." That's their conclusion. We can learn from that. It's good for you to know that overwhelming circumstances can break our faith.

Let me just ask you. Are you frustrated or disappointed in God right now because of your circumstances? Here's where we can get mentally. We can get to a point where we believe the lie, "If God was good, he would change my circumstances. He wouldn't keep me here. He wouldn't allow me to experience this.

If God was good, everything wouldn't all be crashing down at the same time. If God was good, I wouldn't still be single. If God was good, I wouldn't be struggling with mental health so much. If God was good, I wouldn't be battling chronic pain. If God was good, I wouldn't be dealing with all the drama that is my family. If God was good, work wouldn't be so hard or so unstable." We can get to that place.

I've experienced that myself even recently. This was so eye-opening for me. I've had lower back pain for years, and the day after Christmas, I was bending down to get something from my suitcase, and my back locked up. For a month and a half now, it still hasn't loosened up. I've been to the chiropractor multiple times. It still hasn't loosened up.

We're just talking about a little back pain, people. I had this thought, like, "God, why don't you just heal me?" Then I was like, "Oh my gosh. I'm complaining because of a little back pain over a month and a half. What about the people who are living in chronic pain for years?" Yet, as a pastor, there's still this tendency in me to associate God's goodness with my comfort. If I'm a little uncomfortable, then God is a little less good.

It was just God inviting me, like, "Hey, man. It's time to grow a little. It's time to grow out of that teenage mindset of 'If I don't get my way, then I'm not happy.'" Let me just remind you of a few truths, because there is going to be such a temptation to doubt God's goodness when your circumstances are overwhelming. So, let me remind you of a few truths.

First, you should expect trouble in this life. You should. Remember what Jesus says in John 16:33. "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble." I don't know how Jesus could be more clear. He's the God of the universe, and I think he was like, "Okay. How can I say this so there's zero confusion? Let's just make sure we're on the same page, disciples. In this world you will…not you might…you will have trouble. Are we good? Is everybody understanding? In this world you will have trouble."

Yet we're like, "O God, I don't know why I'm having so much trouble. If you were good, I wouldn't have trouble." God is like, "I was trying to show you how good I was that I warned you. I told you." We have to understand this world is close enough to hell that we will feel its heat. I don't know why we are constantly expecting heaven when we're this close to hell.

We just have to remember that Jesus went on and said, "But take heart! I have overcome the world." We might not have heaven now, but we can rest assured that we will someday, because Jesus Christ has overcome the world. This world is on the clock, and Christ is making all things new. So expect trouble. It shows how good God is that he told us that would be the case.

The second truth I want to remind you of is expect to have your faith tested. It's actually the kindness of God to lead us into circumstances where we need him. Think about it. When you think you have everything, it's hard to see that without Jesus you have nothing. It is good for us to have to walk by faith, because when we need God… When we're in circumstances we can't control, we look to God, and he meets us in those moments.

Charles Spurgeon said, "I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages." He's saying, "It is actually for my good that trials come, because trials throw me up against God. I slam up against God, and when I do, I experience him in ways I would never experience him if life was solely comfortable, if I had everything I thought I wanted or needed."

I can think about times in my life, very vivid moments, when I have experienced God's presence and closeness most, and do you know when it was? It was in times of trial. I can still put myself where I was when Kat and I found out we were having a miscarriage. It devastated us, yet God met me. There was this moment of worship when we were living in Waco where God showed himself to me in such a kind and clear and close way. I'll never forget it.

I remember standing down here, singing that song "Goodness of God" and singing the words, "Your goodness is running after me," and something in me, after being in an extended season of hard… I was like, "Has your goodness been running after me? Do I really believe it when I'm singing, 'All my life you've been faithful, all my life you've been so good'?"

As I was standing down there, singing, with tears in my eyes, I was like, "Yeah, you have been good. All my life you have been chasing me. Even in the toughest moments, you've been right there with me, leading me, comforting me, caring for me, sustaining me for another day." Those waves slammed me up against the Rock of Ages to know him in a way that I'd never know him in the midst of a life of ease.

The other truth I'd remind you of is God's past faithfulness deserves present faith. If you look at your past, and you're still like, "What has God done for me?" Romans 5:8: "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He gave his life for you.

3. Beware of confusing slavery with freedom and fulfillment. Numbers 14:4. Listen to what the nation of Israel said. "And they said to one another, 'Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.'" Isn't that crazy? They're confusing the harsh treatment they experienced in Egypt with freedom and fulfillment. They think there's more life, more joy, more fulfillment, and more satisfaction back in the place they were desperate to get out of. They're confusing slavery with freedom and fulfillment.

Do you know what this looks like for us today? This happens all the time. It's where people come to a place where they make a decision, "Sin is better." It is a decision in the mind and heart where you give in and say, "Sin is better. I'm going to leave my spouse for the person I'm having an affair with. I'm going back to a homosexual lifestyle. I'm going to look at pornography and not feel bad about it. I'm going to date the person everyone says is no good for me. I'm going to refuse to forgive. It's my body; therefore, it's my choice to do what I want. I'm going to steal. I'm going to cheat. I am going to do what I want to do."

When we do that, we're confusing slavery with freedom and fulfillment. Do you know what that's like? Jesus Christ has busted us out of prison, and we are walking back into the prison, into the cell, closing the door, holding the keys, locking the door, and just standing in our cell holding the keys to freedom. Yet something in us stands in that cell, and we're like, "This is freedom. This is fulfillment." Jesus is like, "No, no, no. I came to rescue you from slavery so you could experience freedom and fulfillment in me."

If that's you right now, let me be very clear. I'm asking everyone to look at me right now. If you are in a moment where you are planting something in the ground, saying, "Sin is better. I'm doing it. I don't care what anyone says. I'm going for it," let me lovingly tell you this is not going to end well for you. It's not. You are on a path that only ends in brokenness. You are on a path that you think leads to life, and its end is death.

So let me beg you. Right now, if you kind of feel like you have noise-cancelling headphones on, yet there's this muted voice trying to break in, take off the headphones for a second and just hear. Confess today. Repent today. Come back to Jesus today. He loves you. He wants you. He's for you. He forgives you, but he is inviting you back to wholeness, not brokenness. Please don't keep going down this road. Come clean today.

4. Beware of rejecting God's provision of salvation altogether. I want you to understand what's happening here. To go back to Egypt is to reverse the exodus completely. Remember, God performed all of the plagues and split the Red Sea in half, all to rescue them from slavery. To go back to Egypt would be to reject God's salvation completely. To choose another leader was to reject Moses, the one God provided as a mediator between God and man.

So, what does this look like for us today to reject God's provision of salvation altogether? You might hear that at first and be like, "Well, I'm not in danger of that," but let me show you what it looks like, because I'm seeing this happen. This is a reality in our world today. People want salvation without surrender. That's what people want.

How does that play out? Well, people want all of the benefits of eternity with God without having to surrender to God. So, if that's what people want, then that means everyone gets saved. Like, you just need to find your way up the mountain. The important thing is that you're a spiritual person. You don't need to surrender to Jesus, because he saves. He saves everyone. Here's how that's playing out in our world today, and here's how it could play out in your life.

What I see happen in people is this skepticism creeps into their heart where they're like, "I don't like that the Bible says Jesus is the only way. That feels so unloving and rigid for God to say you have to surrender to Jesus in order to be saved. What about all of the people in the world who don't surrender to Jesus, people from other religions, people who choose a different lifestyle than the Christian lifestyle? That feels very rigid and unloving."

When that skepticism creeps in, here's what happens. You begin to get skeptical of this book altogether. This book becomes something that has good in it to learn from, but you know what? We don't need to pay complete attention to it, because it isn't completely reliable. Then you get to a place where you begin to believe, "You know what sounds a lot better? 'God is love.'

Let's move away from this rigid, unloving thought that you have to surrender to Jesus in order to be saved. No, God is love, and if God is love, he saves everyone, because how unloving would it be for him to only save some and not others. So, God is love." So now our lives and our spirituality just become about us feeling loved and making sure other people feel loved. We boil love down to approval of everyone and whatever they want to do.

I've watched this happen, where people experience this slow fade away. They're on the course, and then at some point they just say, "Yeah, I don't want to do this anymore," and they walk away. I just finished watching a documentary recently about a professional football player. Some of y'all have probably seen it. He grew up in a Christian home. He identified himself as a Christian for a long time, and then he began to search. He began to go on a journey. Why? Because Christianity seemed too narrow and rigid to him.

So, he began to explore, and what he has found now is that the greatest life, the greatest freedom, the greatest wholeness for him is found in plant-based medicine. That plant-based medicine works as a psychedelic. So, this professional football player, who grew up identifying as a Christian, is now… If you hear him talk, he's saying, "Look. We're all broken inside." I'm like, "Yeah, that sounds familiar." But he's saying, "It's the medicine that talks to me. It's the medicine that brings hope. It's the medicine that brings peace and healing."

He has found a way to live as if what is only available in Christ is found without surrender. See, that's what the world wants: salvation without surrender. But here's the reality. Just like the nation of Israel, we are in slavery and in need of rescue. Just like the nation of Israel, we're at a dead end at the Red Sea with no way to get to God on our own, yet God in his kindness has made a way when there was no way. Just as he split the Red Sea in half, Jesus says, "I am the way, I'm the truth, and I'm the life."

Jesus Christ is the one who has split the divide between God and man, and he has come to rescue us to God. Now God is the one who is leading us toward eternal rest in heaven with him. Beware of these things, because if you're not careful, you're going to step off the course and walk away. Your "Yes" to my question of "Will you be walking with Jesus 10 years from now…?" Your resounding "Yes" now might be a hard-hearted "No" if you're not careful.

So, what do we do with this? Well, remember Hebrews, chapter 3, is a commentary on Numbers 13 and 14. The author of Hebrews tells us what to do. Hebrews 3:13: "But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called 'today,' that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin." This is why we are called Watermark Community Church. This is why Community Groups are so important to us here.

I don't know if you've ever tried to run a long distance by yourself. It's not that enjoyable, especially if you're running for time. If you're racing for time, you're going to run faster, harder, and better if you do it with other people. The author of Hebrews says, "Exhort one another every single day." This is why Community Group shouldn't be an obligation. It shouldn't be something you dread going to, because this is how we encourage one another. This is how we challenge one another along the way.

I've shared this before, but a high school cross-country race is a 5K. It's 3.1 miles. The first mile is all adrenaline. The second mile is all despair because the race gets spaced out. You find yourself running alone, so you're just left to your thoughts, like, "I chose to do this. Why? Why am I wearing these short shorts? Why did I wake up so early?"

Then you get to the third mile, and there comes this point where you round the turn, and you can see the finish line at the end, but the greatest part is that you have people lining the straightaway cheering for you. There are people calling your name. "Let's go! Finish strong. You can do it. Pump your arms. Lift your knees. Finish. You're there!"

That's what we do for each other in community. We need each other. Anytime you gather together, anytime you bring sin into the light, anytime you invite people in, that gives them an opportunity to say, "Keep going. Pump your arms. Lift your knees. Hit the tape. Finish strong." That's why we're here.

Hebrews 3:14 says, "For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." That's sobering. "We've come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end." It's saying, "Make sure you're even running the right race." If you step off the course and walk away, it might be that you had the wrong Jesus all along.

This is the author of Hebrews saying, "Look…" If there's anything I've said that resonates with you, if you're thinking about what you don't have more than you're thinking about what you do have, if you're questioning God's goodness because of your circumstances, if you're confusing slavery with freedom and fulfillment, if you're rejecting God's provision of salvation altogether, if any of these things are happening, this is him saying, "Hey, come back. Make sure the confidence you once had is the confidence you have today. Renew it."

So, I just want to ask you. Are you running the right race? Is Jesus the one you're running with and the one you're running toward? Is he the one who has saved you, and is he the one who is sustaining you? This is a moment for you to confess and repent and say, "Lord Jesus, would you center me again, because I want to run with you?" My hope and prayer is that we would be a people whose resounding "Yes" today is still a resounding "Yes" 10 years from now, that we are faithfully running with Jesus. Let's pray together.

Lord Jesus, I pray that if there's anyone here today who needs to confess or repent, I pray that they would do that today. For anyone whose heart is hard right now, in your kindness, in your love, would you reach into their life in a very meaningful way that would soften their heart in a second's time, that they would come back to you.

If there's anyone here today who hasn't started running the race with you yet, I pray that today would be the day of salvation, that they would put their trust in you, that they would put their hope in you, that you, Jesus, would be the King of their life. We need you and we love you, God. We pray that you would rule and reign in our hearts today, and I pray that you would see us all the way home. Until we're with you, until we experience complete rest in you, I pray that you, Jesus, would be the one who sustains us every day of our lives. Amen.